Foldable closure for openings in walls



Nov. 4, 1952v 5. J. MCARTHY ,4 7

FOLDABLE CLOSURE FOR OPENINGS IN WALLS- Filed March 11, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

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FOLDABLE CLOSURE FOR OPENINGS IN WALLS I Filed March 11, 1949 s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. v5QMe ,ym W

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. 1952 s. .1. M CARTHY FQLDABLE CLOSURE FOR OPENINGS IN WALLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 11, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDABLE CLOSE RE FOR OPENINGS IN ALLS 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a foldable closure for an opening in either the interior or exterior wall of a building and includes an overhead trackway and a door formed of a plurality of sheets foldable one upon the other to practically parallel relation when the door is open, the sheets having overlapping edges and rollers for supporting the sheets, and a trackway for the rollers. These and other objects and features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the door in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper edge of the door taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4- 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section showing a plan view of the hinge element.

Fig. 6 shows the parts in fold relationship.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line l-! of Fig. 1 showing the trackway for the rollers.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 88 of Fig. 1 showing means for connecting a roller member with a section of the door.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a building such as a garage showing a closure member moved to the top of an opening.

Fig. 10 is an elevation showing the door sections as being foldable in a vertical plane.

Heretofore closures for an opening are moved horizontally or vertically to open the doors and, as such doors have considerable weight, it is somewhat difllcult to lift the door or move it horizontally to open position.

-With my improved door closure the sheets or sections thereof are moved successively to practically parallel relation at one side of the door opening to permit ingress or egress of persons. By my improved door structure the leaves are foldable one at a time to parallel relation to one side of the door opening.

In the preferred construction shown in Fig. 1, the side members are shown at l and 2 and the overhead member of the door opening is indicated at 3 and to the under side of the member 3 is a trackway 4 which is of rectangular form in cross section, the lower wall of which is shaped to provide a slot 5 between upturned ends 6 and between the upturned ends and respective side walls are rollers l and 8 connected to a shaft 9 onto which the rollers are rotated. The shaft 9 is apertured to receive the pin like element It and the rollers are rotatable on the shaft H in closing or opening the door. Between the upper edge of the door sections and the rail 4 are a series of links l3, pivoted together as by means of pins M, in end to end relation and at one end a half link 15 is pivoted to a bracket l5 which, as shown in Fig. 1, extends practically the full height of the door opening.

The door is preferably formed of sheet metal which consists of a series of sheets H to the upper edge of which is secured a bracket l8 and to the bracket is secured a pin ID with which the rollers are connected. Thus the door elements. are suspended.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 5, the strips I! have the edges [9 in overlapping relation. As will be realized from Fig, '7 there is a space between the upper end of the door and the trackway and preferably a fabric strip 20 is positioned on the inner side of the trackway to prevent flow of air between the lower edge of the trackway and the upper end of the sheets IT. The lower end of the sheets I? are in pivotal relation as indicated at 2| in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 2 the sheet 23 at the free edge may be turned about a vertical rod l8 and a hand hold 22 is provided on the outer side of the free end of the door and a similar member 22' is provided on the inner side of the free end of the door by means of either of which the door may be closed after the manner indicated in Fig. 6.

It is to be understood that the door elements may be moved horizontally as shown in the drawing but the door may be moved vertically from the floor line as indicated in Fig. 9. The functional relationship of the parts are the same in either manner of use of the door.

Each of the door sections I! which form a part of the foldable closure have longitudinal edge portions upon opposite sides and which are curved outwardly in opposite directions as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. When assembled the corresponding curved edges of adjacent door sections are arranged in overlapped engagement with each other whereby there will be no open spaces between the respective sections either when the closure is open or expanded to closed position.

The respective sections I! are joined to each other at their tops and bottoms, there being provided outwardly projecting flanges in parallel spaced relation which are arranged normally of the general plane of the section and are upon the side thereof corresponding to the direction of the adjacent curved portion.

The respective flanges upon one side of a section are arranged in overlapping relation with the corresponding adjacent flanges of the adjacent section and are pivotally or hingedly joined to each other by the rivets 2| as shown in the drawings. The aforesaid flanges are formed by extensions of the section adjacent the curved portions which are bent over normally of the plane of the section in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5.

It is believed obvious from the foregoing description that the door may be used in an opening in an interior wall of a building to separate two rooms and of such width that when the door is opened the two rooms become a unit. The device may also be used on a small scale as a closet door.

The subject matter of Figs 9 and 10 is also disclosed and claimed in my copending divisional application Serial Number 309,280, filed September 12, 1952.

Having thus briefly described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a foldable closure for an opening in a building wall including a channelled trackway at the top of said opening, a plurality of upright door sections of sheet metal, an upright pin mounted centrally upon the top edge of each section, rollers swivelled upon said pin and movably mounted and supported Within said trackway for suspending said door sections within said opening, the opposite longitudinal edge portions of each section throughout their length being curved outwardly in opposite directions from the opposite faces of said sections, the corresponding curved edges of adjacent sections being arranged in overlapped engagement with each other, the top and bottom edges of each section corresponding to the opposite ends of said edge portions being bent over normally of the plane of said sections in the direction of the corresponding curved portion defining flanged plates which are overlapped between sections, and means pivotally interconnecting said plates whereby said sections may be foldably collapsed into parallel engaging relation.

2. In a foldable closure for an opening in a building wall including a channelled trackway at the top of said opening, a plurality of upright door sections of sheet metal, an upright pin mounted centrally upon the top edge of each section, rollers swivelly mounted upon said pin and movably mounted and supported within said trackway for suspending said door sections within said Opening, the opposite longitudinal edge portions of each section throughout their length being curved outwardly in opposite directions from the opposite faces ofsaid sections, the corresponding curved edges of adjacent door sections being arranged in overlapped engagement with each other, parallel spaced horizontal flange plates extended normally from the top and bottom edges of said sections adjacent said edge portions and upon the opposite sides of each section corresponding to the direction of each curved portion, the corresponding flanges of adjacent sections being arranged in overlapped relation, and means pivotally interconnecting said flanges whereby said sections may be foldably collapsed into parallel engaging relation.

3. In a foldable closure for an opening in a building wall including a channelled trackway at the top of said opening, a plurality of upright door sections of sheet metal, an upright pin mounted centrally upon th top edge of each section, rollers swivelly mounted upon said pin and movably mounted and supported within said trackway for suspending said door sections within said opening, the opposite longitudinal edge portions of each section throughout their length being curved outwardly in opposite directions from the opposite faces of said sections, the corresponding curved edges of adjacent door sections being arranged in overlapped engagement with each other, the upper and lower end portions of each section corresponding to the opposite ends of said edge portions being bent over normally of the plane of said sections upon opposite sides thereof in the direction of the corresponding curved portion defining flanged plates, which are overlapped between sections, and pins pivotally interconnecting said plates whereby said sections may be foldably collapsed into parallel engaging relation.

STANLEY J. MCCARTHY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 582,240 Springer May 11, 1897 781,665 Kusch Feb. 7, 1905 799,398 McMullen Sept. 12, 1905 1,351,229 Bombelli Aug. 31, 1920 1,411,561 Beeman Apr. 4, 1922 2,537,566 Zandelin et a1 Jan. 9, 1951' FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,982 Great Britain Dec. 5, 1913 459,981 Great Britain Jan. 19, 1937 

